Singer Randy Travis pleads guilty to DWI, gets probation

By
Marice Richter

Published
01/31/2013 21:26:13

DALLAS (Reuters) - Grammy Award-winning country singer Randy Travis on Thursday pleaded guilty to driving while intoxicated and was sentenced to two years probation for an incident in which Texas State Troopers found him lying naked near his crashed car.

Travis, 53, was ordered to serve at least 30 days at an in-patient alcohol treatment facility and was not charged for threatening the troopers who arrested him August 7 in Tioga, Texas, about 60 miles north of Dallas.

Travis' blood alcohol level was more than double the legal limit in Texas when he was arrested, authorities said.

The guilty plea to a Class A misdemeanor in Grayson County Court ends legal troubles Travis faced in connection with several incidents last year, his attorney Larry Friedman said.

"He is ready to put all this behind him and focus on his music and his fans," Friedman said. "He expects a trouble-free 2013."

Travis was also fined $2,000 and sentenced to 100 hours of community service. Travis will have to serve six months in jail if he fails to complete the probation terms.

Grayson County District Attorney Joe Brown called the sentence "appropriate" given Travis' level of intoxication and behavior during his arrest.

"We are all hopeful that Mr. Travis is on the road to recovery," Brown said in a statement.

In January, Travis pleaded no contest in a case in which police said he assaulted a man on August 23 in a church parking lot while trying to intervene in a disagreement between a woman, who is now his fiancée, and her estranged husband.

Travis is serving 90 days of deferred adjudication in that case, which means the charges could be dismissed if he successfully completes the requirements, Friedman said.

The singer filed a lawsuit recently in a Collin County District Court against the man he was charged with assaulting, claiming the altercation was an attempt to injure and embarrass him.

Travis, known for such hits as "Forever and Ever, Amen," was cited in February 2012 for public intoxication and paid a fine, Friedman said.